The White (?) Man's Burden (1899): satirical take on the theme of 'The White Man's Burden' - Credit: Life Magazine

The depiction of African society as primitive, even barbaric, was a recurrent theme during the 19th century European drive for possessions on the continent. Not only did this facilitate the justification of colonialism and imperialism (by asserting it Christianised the heathen, civilized the savages and brought everyone the miraculous benefits of free trade), it also gave rise to the view that white people had a moral obligation to rule over and encourage the cultural development of people from other ethnic and cultural backgrounds. This school of thought soon became known as ‘The White Man’s Burden’ after the 1899 poem by Rudyard Kipling.